8' 



Jamaica at any time. The average rainfall for 7 years has been 49 inches 

 and it is evenly distributed. 



The suckers are set in long beds usually with 7 in the cross rows 18 in- 

 ches apart and from 22 to 24 inches between the rows. The sandy soil is 

 kept perfectly free from weeds by means a scuffle hoe every fortnight, 

 with which also the fertilizers are turned in two or three times a year.. 

 This hoe is worked from the passages on either side of the bed. 



Notwithstanding the sandy character of the soil,- forests of pine trees 

 covered the land anterior to CTiltivation. Oak trees are also dispersed here 

 and there. The inference to be drawn from the presence of these and 

 other trees, is that there is more stamina in the soil than is apparent. 

 However the trees penetrate to a considerable depth. Certain varieties of 

 Peaches and Pears flourish in the open when fertilizers are applieid. Maize 

 is cultivated on selected spots and yields 15 bushels per acre., In most 

 parts the sandy soil is very deep. 



The fruiting season is afiected by shed cultivation. Crops are obtained 

 to some extent at the time desired by the cultivator according to the time 

 of planting. The principal season is in August and September. A grower 

 informed me that the " Smooth Cayenne has the great advantage of bloom- 

 ing at any time." The plants that bloom in the Summer here produce 

 finer fruit than the ones that bloom in the cool Spring. The size of the 

 crates used by the Florida Fancy Pineapple Association is 12 by 20 by 24 

 inches, number of fruit 10, 12, 14 and 16. 



The growers claim that the fruit from the sheds is superior to that 

 grown in the Azores under glass, where the same variety is cultivated. 

 One "grower had a fresh stock of suckers which he imported from the Azo- 

 res for propagating purposes. 



JENSEN on the Indian Eiver is situated much further south, about 27° on 

 the east coast. Here are vast fields, many miles of solid cultivation. Altoge- 

 ther there are several thousand acres cultivated on either side of the railway) 

 Perhaps there is no such concentrated area of equal extent under sugar 

 cane cultivation in Jamaica. 



The pioneer pineapple cultivator here, indeed the pioneer cultivator on 

 the Peninsula of Florida, Captain Richards, gave me an historical account of 

 his initial experiments; how he 18 years ago (at that time the district 

 was a wilderness) brought the first schooner load containing 40,000 suck- 

 ers from the Key Islands, how they failed except a limited number, as he 

 knew not how to treat them in the changed conditions of soil. He 

 returned to the Keys for another schooner load. He persevered amidst^ 

 the greatest difficulties. Mosquitoes were awful, heads and faces had to bf 

 shielded by a netted contrivance. His first shipment to New York ar- 

 tracted great attention. A son is now a large grower, shipping from 

 8,000 to 10,000 crates per year (average per crate 30), This veteran 

 is at present experimenting with Pineapple wines, etc. 



This is the greatest Pineapple region in the world ; about 200,000 crates 

 containing six million fruits are shipped to the northern cities annually, 

 and plantations are constantly being extended. Practically all the plants 

 cultivated are the Eed Spanish variety. This variety is generally admitted 

 to be inferior in quality to several others, but growers claim that " it is the 

 hardiest, easiest to cultivate and best suited to varying conditions." The 

 Jamaica Ripley is well known amongst growers and is considered the most 

 luscious of fruits, but though lepeatedly tried it has not been successfully 

 cultivated. The Smooth Cayenne is cultivated in the open to a small ex- 

 tent bat not quite satisfactorily. 



S'or a long period of years frost was unknown here, but the calamitous 



